2002 E46 M3 // Build Thread
-
note the perforated pipes
Interestingly the Z4M seems to have better luck with muffler options that sound good.
The stock exhaust sound isnt BAD, it is unique if not just a little bit exotic, but it isnt a sound that gives James May a fizzing sensation.
The risk comes with modified exhaust as you can really ruin it, making it worse than stock.
@pynacl I wish you godspeed, just not a Godspeed exhaust
Totally agree with what you and @P_Roloff said that it’s so hard to find a great sound that won’t rattle peoples brains around you. I’m going to just keep experimenting until I get it just right. For me it’s a weekend spirited driving toy, so a lil too loud is okay, long as I’m not upsetting the neighbors. If I tweak anything from that video clip, it’d be a larger muffler to bring the volume down. From what I’ve read a majority of the rasp can be eliminated further up the exhaust and the muffler is more of a volume control device, but I might not be correct on that. But I promise not to rice this car out and won’t stop until it sounds great lol!
-
But I promise to rice this car out
Nice. Just what everyone wanted to hear.
-
Nice. Just what everyone wanted to hear.
PVC wing was on back order but I got a screaming deal on these sick maxpeedingrods coilovers. They sound fast.
-
Pedals always seemed silly to me, mostly because i'd never tried anything different than factory ones. After getting to feel some Turner ones that were on @B C M3, I caved and bought some. Also I'm in desperate need of an interior deep clean please don't internet bully me
-
Which trans oil did you use? I tried Redline MTL, Redline D4 ATF, Pentosin MTF-2 (supposedly OE spec fluid), and Bimmerworld’s recommendation Redline MT-LV. MT-LV was the best experience followed by Pentosin MTF-2 as a close 2nd.
Life gets better after removing the CDV
Sell me your F30
-
Which trans oil did you use? I tried Redline MTL, Redline D4 ATF, Pentosin MTF-2 (supposedly OE spec fluid), and Bimmerworld’s recommendation Redline MT-LV. MT-LV was the best experience followed by Pentosin MTF-2 as a close 2nd.
Life gets better after removing the CDV
Sell me your F30
I ended up doing what I think is the wrong thing and used Redline ATF lol. It feels pretty good to me, but I’ll have to checkout the MT-LV next time i swap it.
Also if you’re seriously interested I’m ready to sell it! Doesn’t get driven enough to keep it, think I’ve driven it 3 times this year
-
Titan trim sucks. Such cheap build quality it shouldn't have even been an option on these cars. Mine was peeling/bubbling on every panel like you see in the photo below. I took all the pieces out, sanded them down with 200/600 grit, then primered and re-painted. Took me two tries because for whatever reason, if you don't use primer, paint has a strange reaction to the bare material and it'll bubble instantly. I ended up using Dupli-color "Storm Gray", which I believe is a GM color. Closest match I could and honestly would be hard to tell the difference. Seems like factory has a bit more warmer hue to it, but even side-by-side it's really close. Also new trim clip pins are $5 a pop!?
Edit: I want aluminum trim
-
Looks good!
-
Took @B C advice and downloaded ECUWorx and modified my M3 a bit this afternoon. Most notably disabled top speed limiter, enabled shift lights (flashes all segments at 7.5k RPM) and re-calibrated the warmup light sequence to more reasonable temps that doesn't promote WOT at 140F on those poor RBs. Below is a before / after on what I changed. I wrote up a blog post on how to use the software step by step here if anyone is interested: https://www.pynacl.com/blog/tune-your-e46-m3-yourself. Thanks Brian for your work in discovering and learning to use this software!
Stock:
Final:
-
Finally the day has come! Pulled the trigger on tackling the subframe reinforcement as preventative maintenance. This is a project far beyond my skill level, so thank you to Austin Nelson for all his help. Decided I might as well replace just about everything nearby while the subframe is out. Here's a breakdown of what is getting replaced:
- TMS Subframe reinforcement plates
- Revshift 80A subframe bushings
- Revshift 80A differential bushings
- TMS sealed monoball RTABs
- OE differential axle seals
- OE differential input shaft seal
- OE differential center support / bearing
- OE guibo
So far most of the rear end has been removed, making way for gasket/bushing/seal replacement. Still have yet to grind down the factory undercoating to get a good idea of current hairline cracks. A quick shot of the subframe post looks solid though, so fingers crossed everything looks great underneath the undercoating!
-
Finally installed the Rogue Engineering stainless clutch line I've had on the shelf for months. Mainly did this to remove the clutch delay valve for a more responsive clutch feel. Job was messy as all hell but a power bleeder made the bleeding process a breeze. Took it for a test drive and it definitely feels more responsive. Not a night and day difference per say, but totally worth it. Frig I love this car
-
Where might a great condition cinnamon interior be hiding? In a rebuilt title, dumpster of an M3 of course! Bought this 110k Imola on cinnamon E46 M3 yesterday to be a donor car. I'm swapping the cinnamon interior into my Steel Gray M3, then selling the car for a break even price to another for the motor/trans. Free cinnamon interior
Also found the car has a sweet Eisenmann exhaust setup. I'm donating it to @Rekpoint for all his help dismantling the interior and helping with the swap, everybody wins!
-
Where might a great condition cinnamon interior be hiding? In a rebuilt title, dumpster of an M3 of course! Bought this 110k Imola on cinnamon E46 M3 yesterday to be a donor car. I'm swapping the cinnamon interior into my Steel Gray M3, then selling the car for a break even price to another for the motor/trans. Free cinnamon interior
Also found the car has a sweet Eismann exhaust setup. I'm donating it to @Rekpoint for all his help dismantling the interior and helping with the swap, everybody wins!
Let it be known we were able to install everything besides the front door panels in just about an hour. Pretty fast...
-
Well that's pretty awesome
-
The seats were REAL shiny. I tried hitting them with some Lexol leather cleaner and a microfiber and it didn't put a dent in it. I know it's a sin, but I VERY carefully used a magic eraser (with zero pressure applied) and Adam's interior detail as lubricant. I was careful to only buff off the oils/grease and not damage the protective "clear coat" layer. Hard to tell from photos, but they look night and day different.
edit: still need to swap the front door cards, just haven't had time yet
Before:
After:
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login